Snodgrass now has five goals and six assists to his name this term and could have had a hat-trick on Monday had he stuck away a late chance.

“I could have scored more goals over the last few weeks but I’m just happy to be scoring and creating and I’m happy to be a part of the team striving for promotion,” he added.

“Every club I’ve been at, I’ve scored goals, the only one I haven’t was at West Ham.

“For us now we’ve set the standard - there’s a bar that has been raised.

“Can we keep that level going? We’ll try and push each other forward and stay in those automatic promotion places.”

FA Cup changes

After five league games in 16 days, a sickness bug spreading through the training ground and a spate of injuries that would ruin many of their promotion rivals’ season, Aston Villa will be glad of a break from the Championship grind this weekend.

The FA Cup third-round clash with Peterborough United has advantages for so many reasons.

Because it’s a home clash, Villa are confident of progressing to the next stage.

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And boss Steve Bruce will also be able to give some of his fringe players valuable game-time as he plans to give the majority of the first-team a weekend off after the hectic festive period.

There are still a number of selection dilemmas to deal with, though, as Gregg Evans reports:

The backline

Jed Steer will start the game as he’s seen as the ‘cup goalkeeper’ and replaces Sam Johnstone.

That’s an easy one for Bruce but central defence could throw up a few problems.

James Chester hasn’t missed a minute in the league since signing so he’ll more than likely be given a rest.

But Tommy Elphick deserves to keep his place and John Terry is itching for a return.

Then there’s young Easah Suliman who also needs games to aid his development, so who misses out?

An option could be to play Terry and Elphick for 45 minutes each alongside Suliman who will need an experienced team-mate alongside him if he gets the nod.

That would then give Terry the minutes he needs before the Championship clash with Nottingham Forest a week later, and also keep in-form Elphick ticking along.

Elsewhere Neil Taylor is likely to return at left-back after missing the last two games and James Bree could start at right-back after making the bench last weekend.

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The midfield

Expect an appearance for Jake Doyle-Hayes in the middle.

The Irishman started the last two cup games and has played well for the U23s this term.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Birkir Bjarnason and Glenn Whelan teamed up alongside him, maybe in a midfield three.

Andre Green will start on the left and Callum O’Hare is also likely to fit in somewhere, possibly on the right or behind a lone forward.

If Henri Lansbury is fit he'll be considered, too, but the likes of Mile Jedinak. Jack Grealish, Robert Snodgrass and Albert Adomah will probably have the weekend off.

Up front

Bruce wants to have a closer look at Rushian Hepburn-Murphy, the 19-year-old striker who was tipped for big things when the manager first arrived.

And after looking lively in the last two league games, he deserves a start to show what he’s made of following a run of bad luck with injuries.

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With the likelihood of a five-man midfield, there may only be one starting role available up top, so does Scott Hogan miss out despite finally getting off the mark in the league against Bristol City?

And what about Keinan Davis? He’s had a welcomed rest in recent weeks but is now itching to play again.

Predicted XI

This is the starting XI we think Bruce could go for.

However with so many options, expect changes and substitutions, possible even at half-time.

Best striker at the club

Scott Hogan is desperate to turn around his Aston Villa career, admitting that he has faced up to a few ‘home truths’ in a bid to recapture his form.

The striker bagged only his second league goal in claret and blue with the opening strike of the 5-0 win against Bristol City.

And after getting off the mark for Villa in the Championship this season, he’s vowed to start justifying his £12million price tag.

“The fans have been really good, considering their club spent a lot of money on a striker who hasn’t scored goals,” said Hogan.

“I would like to think they understand I do work hard. Hopefully I can repay them more than anything because they are brilliant.

“There are not many like them in this league - probably not many in the league above. I would like to just repay them and hopefully, if there are people are on my back, I can now start changing their opinion.”

Hogan continued: “I’m confident once I get going, once I get my confidence, you will see what you spent the money on.”

It was his fine form for Brentford - 15 goals in the first half of last season - that earned him his move to Villa.

And he admitted that he spoke to former team-mates and managers for advice to get him back on track.

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“I needed to get their opinion, they were going to be honest with me and they have been,” he said.

“Maybe a few home truths have been told to me. You have to learn. I’m 25, a grown man.

“You have to look at yourself in the mirror sometimes, get your head straight, clear your mind and do what you can do, what you have always done. Hopefully that will now result in more goals.”

Despite scoring just two league goals in 31 appearances, he said:

“I might not have not scored for 12 months but I have had worse times in my career.

“I have been in the game as a professional for four years and two of those I did not play because I was injured. I’ve had worse to test me mentally. Mentally, this is no issue. I would like to think not many things will break me.

“It just comes down to me, really. Working hard and doing what I know I can do.

“Playing how I want to play and what the gaffer wants me to do. I have to change, I have to adapt to what he wants, more than anything. Or I am not going to play.

“I am trying to change, little by little, adapt from what I would normally do to what the manager wants because he picks the team. He expects his faith rewarded.

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“Whatever has gone, has gone. I am still confident. I am confident I am the best striker at the club. (Jonathan) Kodjia will say the same. Keinan (Davis) will say the same. You have to.

“You have to believe. You have to think like that.

“It has beaten me up a lot, not scoring. But hopefully this is a sign of things to come.”

We want your thoughts

Steve Bruce will be looking to do some business in the next few weeks.

The club need a striker, they will also be keen to look at the future of Sam Johnstone.

The manager will have his own thoughts on the transfer window, but what are yours?